Keeping my head up…

You haven’t heard from me today because I’m just now finishing a long day on the golf course. While Ned, Roy and Kim were back at the office trying to make something happen in the next few days, several front office members joined Dodger players Jonathan Broxton and Joe Beimel, manager Grady Little, coaches Dan Warthen, Rick Honeycutt, Mariano Duncan and former Dodgers Tommy Davis, Willie Davis, Don Newcombe, Todd Zeile, Bobby Castillo, Maury Wills, Fernando Valenzuela, Rick Monday, Ron Cey, Kenny Landreaux, Jimmy Campanis, "Sweet" Lou Johnson and countless others (I apologize for those I left off), for the annual Dodgers Dream Foundation Charity Golf Tournament.

Though it’s unknown how much was raised for educational, recreational and athletic opportunities for local LA youth, the tourney has brought in tens of thousands of dollars in the past and this year is no different. It was played at Trump National in Palos Verdes on an incredible course and though our fivesome was awful (we finished last), everyone really did have a great time for the benefit of kids. And maybe I hit the ball so brutally because rather than keeping my head down like a golfer is supposed to, I was too busy trying to keep my head up during these tough times on the field.

Tomorrow, we’re going to try and get back on the horse and turn this thing around. I know I’ve said that for several days, but I’m simply not ready to give up. This division is still winnable, though we have dug ourselves quite a hole.

While no one ever likes to see teammates mix it up in the dugout, I’m hopeful that with Wednesday’s event behind us, it might spark this team like the Kent/Bonds dugout dustup did for the 2002 Giants. I covered that team as a reporter and I remember standing in the champagne-soaked clubhouse after the division series and Jeff saying that he thought that was the turning point in the season. There’s just no way of knowing what gets things going in this crazy game. Maybe it will be Tommy Lasorda’s vow that he’s not going to eat until we win. (I’m not kidding).

Whatever it is, I hope many of you are part of the sellout crowd coming tomorrow night or that you get to take in a ballgame over the weekend. Now is the time these guys need fan support more than ever and I know you’re up to the task. You’ve been incredible thus far and I truly mean that.

JR

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Baseball would no17t be so engaging if it were totally predictable with no peaks and valleys. Things dont always work out. Not always someone to blame for it either. No matter how much talent you gather around, it is still a gamble. I am waiting for the big winning streak that comes out of nowhere. If it doesnt happen then I can think about offseason moves and how many of our young players break out and show the fans they are ready to bring it.

I think I’m not alone in hoping that the Dodgers are sellers this deadline. Why throw away our future for a postseason birth? We cannot beat the Cards nor the Mets in my opinion no matter how big a deal we swing because the Mets will probably get a good SP to compliment Pedro and Glavine.

I would really like to see us trade away Lowe (as good as he has been for us) since he is decently valued by teams like the BoSox and Yankees who are looking for SP help. I think Lowe can get us a package centered around Jon Lester or Philip Hughes if we’re lucky. We should be able to play them off eachother. I also would like to see Nomar, Izzy, Baez, Beimel, Saito, Toby Hall, Ledee, Saenz, Hendrickson, Sele, and Lofton dealt since they should be fairly easy to move. If we can move J.D. Drew then even better.

I feel like if we stockpile enough prospects we can get a player like Miguel Cabrera who is a 23yr old franchise type of player. We could also get some much needed pitching depth in trades and a difference maker in the line-up. We would also free up a little cash to get a good SP this offseason whether it’s FA or by dealing for a high salaried pitcher like a Jon Lieber type.

As much as I would love to see the Dodgers compete this year, I would rather see us go for a championship next year. We could sign some decent veterans for bench/platoon roles with our kids and we could slowly be building towards something special. I guess my best example would be the A’s only with the resources to afford more than they ever could. We could get that piece that sends us over the top and I would be all for trading some top prospects for a franchise type player. Not a 30yr old Carlos Lee or Alfonso Soriano but a player we can all grow with and see as the face of our beloved franchise.

What happen to this great piece “Colletti Looking to Buy, Not Sell” on LA Times? Colletti just wakes up and changes his mind?

I start wondering Colletti is the spy hired by Sabean to implode the Dodgers. On the other hand, what Colletti is willing to do is totally expectable. This new GM doesn’t do any investment in current Dodger farm. For him, it’s like bunch of high-value gambling spree chips.

Fans have given Colletti a lot of chances and this idiot keeps losing advantages in all trades he made. Look how many prospects have been cheaply dumped to build the so-called “Colletti failure future”.

If Colletti wants to take his own course, I think the first option for McCourt is fire Ned’s a*s ASAP.

hey, i woke up without worrying about furcal getting thrown out trying to steal third, or nomar tweaking his knee or drew tapping the ball weakly to first, or peavy getting four rbi off penny, or penny getting medieval on lofton.

We’ve got to to be patient with Coletti. While it’s true he hasn’t improved the club with any of his recent trades, it’s also true he hasn’t hurt the club either. The prospects he gave up didn’t fit into our future. . Everybody wanted him to get rid of OD Perez and he did, I don’t think he was an easy guy to get rid of period. Also Dessens could be useful. Let’s see what he does at the deadline, he knows what the Dodgers need, and hopefully he knows who ,and who not to trade.

I just look at it this way, the future looks bright for Dodger fans, Kemp is gonna wow us with MAMMOTH blasts, Loney will be slick with the glove & hitting, LaRoche will be hitting 25-35 Dingers a year for 10-15 years it’s all good in Dodger land.

R U KIDDING!! Kemp is Billy Ashley in disguise! Loney will never develop the power to hit in Dodger stadium and guys like Wily Aybar are a dime a dozen! The only true prospects we have are Eithier,Martin,LaRouche,and Broxton! I am not even sold on C.Billingsley.He is supposed to be the real deal and can’t throw strikes! The Angels bring up Jered Weaver and he is lights out,I thought Chad was a better prospect. Brad Penny has every right to blow his top this is ridiculous the way they are playing in the 2nd half!! This division is for the taking and the Dodgers are in last place! Are you kidding me!! Leave the roster alone unless you can get a power hitting 3rd baseman and a starting pitcher.If not let these guys currently on the roster sink or swim,show some heart and turn it around starting tonight or mope to the finish line in oct.

The thing that concerns me about Billingsly is he hasn’t been able to miss many bats. Its not a surprise that his control is shaky- hes 21. Thats pretty much expected. He is going to walk people and give up hits as he works out his command. But only 23Ks in 44 IP with 33BBs? That’s a little disturbing. He doesn’t seem to have quite the fastball I though he had. Maybe that will come with experience/confidence. Have to remember- young pitchers usually struggle- what were seeing in Weaver is pretty rare- and I bet he goes though some rough patches before its all said and done. I think your wrong on Kemp- hes legit, but you maybe right to some extent with Loney and Aybar- just my thoughts…. One thing Dodger fans should remember when deciding on buy VS sell thoughts is prospects are just that. Prospects. They may well turn out to be great pros, but its far from certain. Will, say LaRoche ever be as productive as Kent? Odds are against that (no matter how much I hope he is) . Loney as good as Nomar? Billingsly as good as Lowe? Etc.. I wouldn’t be too quick to assume bagging this year and everything will be fine next year or the year after is the way its going to all work out.

I dont think its so cut and dry to label a team that has shown it could win, despite multiple injuries in a weak division, as a straight seller because of a losing streak, albeit an almost historic losing streak for the franchise.

I say this because the dodgers probably need to do some of both.

The Carlos Lee deal just pulled off by the Bewers shows you can “sell” one of your best players without “giving up” on the season that the term usually implies.

While perusing the NL standings in this morning’s Times, I couldn’t help but notice that the Dodgers have the identical amount of wins as the Marlins…. This despite the Marlins rock bottom payroll and rookie-laden lineup. Immediately to the right of the standings,in the “Dodgers Report,” I was shocked to read that the Dodger GM is still looking “to buy, not sell.” Ned, take a lesson from Florida’s front office and let the kids play. Despite my very high expectations for this year’s team, it’s time for a reality check.

Maybe some of those guys that went golfing with Josh yesterday
have something left. I’d give plenty to see Cey back on third. Hey! Then Izzy could go back to short. Sure hope he is still a Dodger when the 1st rolls around.

Josh: can you tell me if Lou Johnson got his world championship ring back?

The prospects don’t have to all be super stars. They have to be Dodgers to start to build a team around. Martin, Ethier, LaRoche, Broxton is be a very good start. However, let’s not bail out on Kemp, just out of AA and young. Loney has soft hands and hits for average. Maybe a Mark Grace type of player. Guzman still has a high ceiling. Remember the 1988 team – Sax, Marshall,Stubbs, Hamilton, Scioscia,Holton etc. Not stars – Dodgers. Bill Russell, Ron Cey, Steve Yeager and Davey Lopes, weren’t superstars. Maybe Garvey was. They were Dodgers. I think that’s what we are looking for. We know the system won’t yield numerous super stars but it can yield quite a few good players who came up through the Dodgers farm. Aybar’s and Young’s aren’t a dime a dozen if they are Dodgers. There is always a place for versatile utility players. I personally don’t see how a rent a player or two can make much of a difference this year. Glad Carlos Lee is off the market. I know it is easier to buy now so all will think we care about winning and it is harder to protect our property without criticism. If our prospects are not as advertiesed, how come teams are so interested in them? I agree that a number of our vets have to move on but who will trade for them unless that come attached to a couple of prospects? And yes, a Miguel Cabrera trade may be one where prospects are the bait but not older guys who are soon to be free agents or unhappy where they are.

mhardy78,
You can think all the mean thoughts you want but I am a realist. I’ve lived in Chicago all my life and have been a LIFELONG Dodger fan.My father is and my grandfather was.I am 36 years old and I own a bar in a town in the Chicago city limits .My Bar is decorated in Dodger pictures,banners,posters and even a neon that Budweiser got for me from LA.! Believe me I am not being spiteful i want the Dodgers to win more than anybody but unless they start caring it will be another awful year,last year was bad enough when the White Sox swept them in Chicago,I was at all 3 games and heard all about how bad they were from fans and people who come into the bar! I bleed Dodger Blue like Tommy says. Where are the Pedro Guerreros,Steve Saxes,BullDogs and Fernandos when we need them!!!!!!!!P.S. I cannot forget Gibby!

Matt. I have followed the Dodgers without fail since the early 50’s. I miss the Guerreros, Saxes, Bulldogs and Fernandos too. What I notice is they were all true Dodgers. Gibby was brought in to connect the dots which he did wonderfully. I think right now there may well be a few of those kinds of talents in the farm system. Remember how long it took Bulldog to get established. Billingley needs some time. Gooden’s, Fernando’s, Jared Weaver’s are rare. It seems when a team does poorly that management doesn’t care. I think that is unfair. The better they do the more they make. The better they do the better it reflects well on management. I think Ned is stuck in the middle. Hold onto the true nuggets we have and get criticized or trade for high priced free agents soon to be (fool’s gold) and get criticized. I also think his plan before the season started was good. Sign some good vets to hold places for the kids in a year or two. Who could know they would all get hurt? Remember he had little time to prepare for the season and to act impulsively now might not be wise.

I have to aggree with mattmathey, Like I said in an earlier thread, It’s this team, what we have right now, that has to have a gut check individually and collectively, and raise the level of their play in order to get back into this thing. Granted, seven games isn’t insurmountable-any team is capable of a good streak-but they have to want it. One power hitter isn’t going to make us a winner,neither is another starter, okay I’ll concede that point, its all about everyone hitting on all cylinders. If we want a power hitting third baseman or left fielder or whatever, let’s wait until the season is over then go after him. It’s all about the team we have right now. Maybe good maybe bad. It’s all about the heart. Not the talent….and maybe another starter

By the way, my local Sacramento newspaper, in its usual one paragraph blurb about the Dodgers, said that we got Abreu and Tom Gordon for prospects and cash considerations. But nobody else is reporting it. So what’s up? Anybody else hear this rumor? Is it just a rumor? What gives?

The general rule of thumb that I follow is to disbelieve anything that comes out of Sacramento. I think it’s pretty safe to disbelieve what you supposedly read about prospects and cash for Gordon and Abreu.

I am totally depressed at the thought of Colletti dealing prospects for a 2 month rental. His track record at the SF Giants is as bad as it gets. Did Ned actually recommend trading Giants prospects Francisco Liriano and Joe Nathan to the Twins for A.J. Pierzynski? Anyone involved in that trade from the Giants side should be removed from MLB, not running the Dodgers.

I am not at all in favor of making some goofy trades and trade away the future.With the talent the Dodgers have,on paper there is time still left.Look at the lineups in the rest of the division nothing to shudder at! The Bulldog climbed the ladder pretty quick starting in 1983 as well as Bob Welch and El Toro the orginization does not produce pitchers like it used to!Plus the Dodgers are to busy trading away there best homegrown players in moronic trades i.e. Piazza,Pedro,or letting them go Beltre.Can you imagine the Dodgers lineup of the mid to late 90’s with this pitching we would be talking when not if the Dodgers would clinch the Division!

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